Siren Song
by Dark-Elk
Summary: A Ghost recieves disturbing visions of a distant galactic sector. Chapter 7: Questions is up!
1. Chapter 1: Visions

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 1: Visions  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
Hideous creatures ran screaming through the night, savagely slaying women and children that stood before them. Explosions rocked the city on all sides, and the nightmarish shapes continued to advance, unstopped by the artillery fire or the small arms fire coming from a small contingent of militia. A young girl ran out of her house after her mother, clutching a doll to her chest. As her mother skidded to a halt and wheeled around, the girl stopped in her tracks, absorbing the devastation that had befallen her home. A Dropship fluttered from the sky, and landed long enough to disgorge a small contingent of Firebats and load some of the civilians.  
  
As the civilians crammed themselves into the Dropship, the mother cried out and grabbed her daughters hand. The doll slid from the girls hand as the mother dragged her towards the Dropship. The girl twisted her body back to look at the doll that had been her companion and confidante for most of her life. A tear slid down her dirty cheek, leaving a trail of wetness behind.  
  
The mother reached the Dropship, and was yelled to by the people on board that there was room for only one person. The mother swung her daughter towards her, told her that she loved her, kissed her on the cheek and hurled her aboard the Dropship. The daughter barely had time to look upon her mother again before the doors closed and the Dropship began streaking across the sky. Sobs racked the mothers body as she watched her daughter leave, knowing full well the improbability of ever seeing her again.  
  
A terrible screech tore through the night, and the mother turned to look. A twisted form shot through the air, vectoring towards the Dropship. The mother cried out once before the creature struck the Dropship. The hunk of flesh exploded upon contact, destroy one engine and crippling the other. The Dropship swung around drunkenly and began sliding from the sky towards the ground. The mother screamed, piercing the sounds of battle raging around her. She stared uncomprehendingly as the Dropship collided with the ground, and detonated in a massive fireball. She screamed again, and this time continued screaming, tearing through the darkness of the night. As her scream reached one of the higher pitches audible to the human ears, it suddenly cut off with only a strangled gasp. The woman slumped to the ground, and slowly keeled over. A massive spike protruded from her back, piercing her lungs. Her breathing was labored as she stared into the night. The nightmarish creatures came again, and surrounded the woman. She screamed one last time.  
  
Major Mackenzie Surak bolted upwards in his bed with a startled yelp. He reached to his side for his canister rifle, but it took him only a moment to grasp the fact that it wasn't there. Sweat poured off of him as he remembered the terrified look in the mother's eyes, a reflection of the hideous creatures barely visible. This dream had been haunting him for weeks now, never exactly the same. Sometimes he would see more of the twisted abominations, sometimes less. Sometimes there would be different people doing different things, but always it was the innocent being horrifically slaughtered. The problem was that Mackenzie has no clue as to where the slaughters could be taking place. The planets that the UED controlled were peaceful, and nothing like the abominations he had seen had ever been sighted, much less decimated a colony.  
  
Mackenzie knew what was happening. It wasn't the first time he had had visions of something occurring far distant. He had been having psychic dreams like this for years now, since he was a child. It was that trait that had automatically elected him to train to acquire the mantle of a Ghost, and had driven him through the ranks to his current position. Unlike most Ghosts, Mackenzie wasn't innately sadistic. He knew quite well what evil was and what it wasn't; it was one of the few things he remembered learning from his parents. Evil was brutally torturing a target before executing it. Mackenzie worked with professional compassion, eliminating targets painlessly and effortlessly. Called "The Noble Assassin" by the media, Mackenzie was known well throughout the world, more so than any other Ghost who had ever existed. He knew quite well, though, that his superiors shared few of his morals, and none of his compassion.  
  
Mackenzie slowly lowered himself towards the bed, unwilling to go to sleep again. He knew full well that when he closed his eyes, a new definition of horror would be there to grace his mind, a horror that was unthinkable in magnitude and unmatchable in ferocity. He had yet to convince his superiors of his visions truth, and so was forced to receive less and less sleep each night, and more and more diabolical visions.  
  
Mackenzie was ready for a change, ready to do something to stop his visions. He just didn't know what to do. 


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 2: Awakening  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
Light stabbed into Mackenzie's eyes, abruptly waking him from the light sleep he had been enjoying. Mackenzie simultaneously groaned and cursed, something he had managed to perfect after years of practice. The lights in his quarters would only be on if someone else was in them. Which of course, meant.  
  
"What the hell do you want, Raymas? You know I haven't been sleeping well, and you come in here at." Mackenzie stole a glance at his wristwatch. "8:30. Doesn't that seem a little.asinine to you?"  
  
Controller Raymas grimaced. He could never understand why fate had forced him to work with this man. The other Ghosts he had worked with were nothing like Mackenzie; they were professional and detached, the epitome of the mindless soldier. Mackenzie.suffice to say that Mackenzie was a little odd. "Bite me Surak, you've got work to do. I got a political leader in southern Asia who's in desperate need of your talents. Your bad dreams are going to have to sit in the backseat while you're on duty, okay?" Raymas said sarcastically, the only tone that sounded natural coming from him.  
  
Mackenzie sighed; whenever Raymas used his last name he knew that the man was serious. Raymas didn't seem to care how Mackenzie treated him as long as the job was done, but he was still firmly in charge, wielding the annoying psi nullifier. Mackenzie hated that damned piece of machinery, and fully believed that if he could have five minutes alone with the tech that had invented it he would be a much happier man.  
  
"Fine, I'm up. When do you need me to leave? I'd like a little time to shower and all, so if it's fine by you I'm going to need about an hour, okay?"  
  
"No such luck, Surak. This guy is due to give a speech in a few hours, and we need you to get to him before he gives it. You take too much time to pretty yourself up as it is. Run a brush through your hair and grab some rations and you'll be fine. After all, the poor bastards not going to live long enough to tell anyone that you smelled, right?"  
  
Mackenzie grimaced. "Could you at least show the man a little respect? Does he have any close family?"  
  
Raymas sighed. "You gotta quit getting hung up on this whole nobility thing. You're a Ghost. You kill who you're told to kill and you do it quietly. The man who leaked your name to the news as "The Noble Assassin" is still rotting in a prison somewhere, courtesy of yours truly. Just because you had that little label slapped on you doesn't mean you gotta live up to it. Just do what you're told and we can both be happy men."  
  
Mackenzie finally rolled over and slowly stood up. His eyes were still closed, but he managed to navigate his way over to his small bathroom. "I'll be ready in ten, and that's as quick as you're going to get. If you need more speed than that ask the guy I'm supposed to kill to give his speech a little later, okay?"  
  
Raymas groaned, but didn't argue. Even though he was technically Suraks superior officer he knew when and how far to push him. There were some lines that you couldn't cross with Surak, and there were others the man would bend over backwards to break. It was a feat in and of itself merely knowing which was which. Actually getting Surak to do something was nothing short of remarkable. Over the last few years Raymas had learned much, and it almost saddened him to know that he would soon have to deal with one of the emotionless robots that Ghosts typically were. Surak would retire soon, probably in four or five years. With the commission he had received for all of his missions on behalf of the government he would retire a very rich man at the ripe age of thirty-five, an age considered old to anyone who knew anything about the Ghost program.  
  
Lost in his train of thought, the time passed quickly for Raymas, and when Surak exited the bathroom he was mildly surprised. He didn't say anything, knowing that if Surak cared how he felt the Ghost could pick the feeling up easily. Even with the psionic dampener installed deep in the recesses of his brain Surak was easily one of the most powerful psionics the Ghost training academy had ever dealt with.but it was a good thing that Surak didn't know. Or if he did he gave no indication whatsoever, never angling for special privileges beyond what he was entitled to.  
  
Raymas straightened up and cracked his back. "You ready, Surak? You sure took your sweet time prettying yourself up in there. You'd almost think you had a date with this man."  
  
Mackenzie didn't rise to the bait and instead walked out of the room. Raymas followed close behind, wondering what was wrong with his protégé. 


	3. Chapter 3: Outburst

Siren's Song  
  
Chapter 3: Outburst  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
"I give, Surak. What's wrong?" Raymas asked while struggling to keep up with Mackenzie. Mackenzie was almost jogging down the corridor, and Raymas, who had been a civilian for a number of years now, had great difficulty matching his frenetic pace.  
  
Mackenzie whirled around and Raymas involuntarily took a step backwards. The fire in Mackenzie's eyes was burning brightly, and the normally light blue irises were almost white. "I'm tired of killing people, okay? Every week I have to kill some new "threat", be it some ten cent dictator in Peru, or some activist in Canada, or this politician in South Asia. It never changes.ever. The deaths I've caused, Raymas! Can you even understand the number of people I've neutralized in the name of the UED? The amount is staggering.were I a civilian I would have earned over eighty consecutive life sentences.and that's just for the assassinations. That doesn't account for the kidnappings, or the mental sterilizations, or any of the other thrice-damned operations I've had to carry out. And you know what? I'm so close to walking out it isn't even funny any more."  
  
Raymas gulped. "Surak.Mackenzie.I know how hard this is for you, and."  
  
Mackenzie darted quickly towards Raymas and slammed him against the wall. "You what? You know how hard this is? Have you ever had the privilege to look into a mans eyes while you slashed his throat? Have you ever poisoned someone, knowing that it would cause extraordinary pain before killing them? Have you ever killed someone period?"  
  
Raymas stared into Mackenzie's eyes. The fire was flashing brilliantly now, and Mackenzie's breathing was becoming more erratic. Raymas's hand slowly slid down to his pocket and grasped a small device held within. It had only one button, and Raymas's finger caressed it. Finally he slowly depressed the button. "I'm sorry Mackenzie, but this is for your own good."  
  
Mackenzie immediately let go of Raymas and slowly stumbled backwards until his back hit the opposite wall. He slowly slid down the wall until he thudded softly against the metal plating that constituted the floor. His head slowly tilted forward, and his arms reached up to cradle his head.  
  
Mackenzie moaned softly; he was incapable of conscious thought. The psionic nullifier emitted a pulsating field that was calibrated to his brainwaves, emitting a counter-wave for each wave he produced. His brain emissions were essentially neutralized, but what pained Mackenzie the most was the loss of his psionic ability.  
  
Mackenzie had been an average child years ago.until he had hit puberty, that is. At the onset of those turbulent years Mackenzie's parents began to notice odd things in their household. Mackenzie became unnaturally skilled in finding lost items, even if he hadn't been anywhere nearby when they went missing. Things that were hidden from Mackenzie purposefully, such as birthday presents, were often found torn from their hiding places. Things went on this way through Mackenzie's early teenage years until he hit the age of fifteen. Only a few weeks after his birthday Mackenzie's life changed irrevocably forever. He got into a fight with his parents over something meaningless, and retreated to his room, slamming doors behind him. What piqued his parents interest was when they noticed that Mackenzie hadn't even touched the doors; they had slammed shut seemingly of their own accord.  
  
Mackenzie was taken to a doctor's office, but it didn't take long for the doctor's to confirm the truth. Mackenzie was an extraordinarily strong psionic, one of the strongest ever discovered. It was not surprising at all that the UED took immediate interest in young Mackenzie.  
  
Short weeks later a figure silently stole into the Surak household, injected a light tranquilizer into young Mackenzie and carried him off.but not before leaving behind a small token of the UED's appreciation. The blast radius of the bomb took out an entire city block; needless to say no one ever questioned the fact that Mackenzie's body was never found.  
  
Upon reaching the nearest UED base the figure went to work on Mackenzie. Through a small bit of brain surgery a small device had been inserted underneath his scalp. The device, commonly known as a psionic dampener, had actually been for Mackenzies own good. The mate of the psionic nullifier had also been inserted into his brain during that operation. Next the figure removed portions of Mackenzies mind, primarily those pertaining to memory. Computer cores replaced his memory, although not even Mackenzie knew about that minor change. All of this left the UED with a young boy with incredible psionic power who had no knowledge about his previous life; he was an empty chalice, and the UED was only happy enough to help him fill himself.  
  
Mackenzie had lived the majority of his life with his psionic ability; even when not actively using it he often received the emotions and strong thoughts from those nearby. He had become accustomed to these intrusions in his mind, often welcoming them. They were a large portion of his life. When the psionic nullifier was activated it blocked his psionic talent; to Mackenzie this was equivalent to amputating his arm or leg. He had only been nullified a few times, most of them when he got excessively emotional.such as today.  
  
Raymas was worried. Mackenzie had never exploded like that before, had never even shown the slightest hint towards such violent spontaneity. Raymas stepped next to Mackenzie, hand firmly pressing the nullifier button, and reached into a small pocket on his other side. He removed a small vial with a miniature needle attached to it. He shook it briskly, flicked it with his finger, and then swiftly inserted it into the back of Mackenzie's neck. Mackenzie hissed in pain while the liquid entered his bloodstream. Raymas stepped back again and removed his finger from the nullifier button.  
  
Mackenzie shook his head a few times, and slowly staggered to his feet. "Sorry about that, Raymas. It's these damn dreams.you know I'm not sleeping well. I guess it's just taking more of a toll on me than I thought."  
  
Raymas sighed in relief. "Absolutely understandable, Surak. As soon as you're done with this mission I'll find a good shrink for you and we'll take you off rotation for a while until we get things sorted out, okay?"  
  
Mackenzie smiled for the first time in weeks. "That would be helpful.I don't know how much more of the dreams I can stand. The worst part isn't the dream.it's me believing that what I'm dreaming really is happening.I couldn't imagine something that horrific. Let's put this mission behind us so we can both get some downtime, okay? You aren't looking too hot either Raymas."  
  
Raymas smiled at him, but it was a false smile. He wasn't able to conceal his worry, and knew that Surak knew he was worried anyway.working with psionics was both a gift and a curse. 


	4. Chapter 4: Lies

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 4: Lies  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
The scent of the coffee brewing in the hold of the Dropship was invigorating to Mackenzie, and he waited patiently until the machine finished brewing it. He reached over to the container and poured himself a large cup, the steam wafting through the air.  
  
Raymas eyed him cautiously, keeping in mind Surak's outburst en route to the Dropship. For the rest of his life he would remember the look in Surak's eyes as he slammed Raymas into the corridor wall.  
  
Mackenzie glanced over at Raymas and caught him watching him. "You want some of this? If not, I'm drinking it all myself."  
  
Raymas shook the thoughts from his head and smiled. "Hell yeah I want some. I've been up even longer than you have."  
  
Mackenzie poured him a mug and slid it over to him. Raymas grabbed it from the narrow counter and took a sip. The coffee burned its way down to his stomach and he grimaced. "Damn you Surak, you pour engine fuel in here or something? I don't understand how you can drink this."  
  
It was Mackenzie's turn to flash a grin at Raymas. "You're acting like a woman, Raymas. It's not that strong; the Marines drink it at least twice as strong as I do." He took another gulp from his mug and sighed. "So what's the procedure for today? I have this guy who's going to give a speech, and you want me to take him out before he can, right? What do you want me to do to him?"  
  
Raymas looked away from Mackenzie. In light of what he was told in the corridor, Mackenzie probably wouldn't agree with the orders he had been given. "You're supposed to make it look like an assassination, but not a UED assassination. You know the drill."  
  
Mackenzie's face grew stony as he stared into the opposite wall of the Dropship. "You better keep your word about the downtime, because after today I'm going to need it. Like I said, if the UED keeps running me like this I'm bolting, got it? I don't care what they want to call it, be it treason, desertion, whatever. I couldn't really care less what they do to me. Even line units of Marines get more rest than I do, and that's really saying something."  
  
Raymas nodded. "The UED doesn't let me promise much, but this is something you've earned. It's rather long past due anyway"  
  
Mackenzie sighed. "Okay, a UED-sponsored assassination that isn't supposed to look like an UED-sponsored assassination. Are there any local dissident groups, political enemies, anything to work with?"  
  
Raymas patted his shirt pockets looking for something, and eventually stumbled across the right pocket. He reached in and withdrew a slim disk, which he tossed lightly over to Mackenzie. "That's got everything you could possibly want, and then some. Gotta hand it to the UED, they never skimp on intel."  
  
Mackenzie laughed. "True. Okay, let's see what we have here." He slid the data disk into a side slot on his suit, and lowered his eyepiece into place. Information began flashing across it rapidly, but Mackenzie had been trained by the UED for speed-reading, and quickly managed to single out a few important pieces of information. "We've got a gang of techies that seem to dislike this politician. There's also a group of hardline rebels that have made it clear they wouldn't mind if this guy knocked off permanently. Either of them would have sufficient motivation to kill this guy. Why does the UED want him dead?"  
  
Raymas drew a cigarette from another pocket and lit it. "Mostly because he's trying to lead a peaceful insurrection, but also because a lot of the higher ups don't really like him either. He wants to have the UED give him control of a fleet, and have a group of civvies join him on a mission to the Koprulu sector. Pretty foolish if you ask me."  
  
"Koprulu sector? Why would they want to go there? The UED owns that too; Admiral DuGalle was sent and everything. It was a huge media event. I would think that wouldn't be any different from here." Mackenzie said as he adjusted the fan behind him to blow the smoke away from him.  
  
"Well, that's the brunt of his argument. He says that he received classified information that says Admiral DuGalle's fleet was decimated, and that the . . .the entire sector is in a state of civil war." Raymas said after a slight pause. It sounded almost like he was holding something back, but Mackenzie had long ago learned that probing Raymas' mind wasn't the smartest thing too do.  
  
"Why did the UED send the fleet out in the first place? That's my question. We're doing just fine in our own sector, we don't really need their resources. I can understand from a point of exploration, but why send DuGalle? He's the greatest tactical mind the UED has ever produced, and merely pacifying the Koprulu sector shouldn't have required him. Any of the other Admiral's could have done that job."  
  
Raymas took a drag on the cigarette, and slowly exhaled. "Apparently this politician doesn't think so. He's pretty adamant about DuGalle's fleet having been destroyed. The UED doesn't want any rumors spreading that could prove harmful."  
  
"Was his fleet destroyed?"  
  
Raymas looked up from the floor at Mackenzies face quickly. "Of course not. You said yourself that he's the greatest tactical mind the UED has. I highly doubt that some peasants with under strength technology could defeat him, even with a massive numerical advantage." He looked at his watch. "We're about five minutes out. Finish your coffee, Surak." 


	5. Chapter 5: Contact

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 5: Contact  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
Mackenzie stepped lightly off of the Dropship and took a deep breath, savoring the country air. The city in which the target lived was bordered by farmlands, and the scent of wildflowers and fruits were a stark contrast from the noxious odors of most cities. The sun was just setting, giving Mackenzie a good view of the colors created by the extensive pollution. Mackenzie sighed again and trudged further away from the Dropship. Once he reached a safe distance he turned and raised his arm. The Dropship pilot briskly saluted him before engaging the repulsorlifts, smoothly rising from the ground. Hovering for only a moment, the Dropship's engines were quickly engaged, and the craft shot off through the sky.  
  
The walk to the city wasn't overly long, and with the surroundings as they were, Mackenzie didn't mind much at all. His Ghost training had been strenuous; he could survive conditions and exertions that would kill even the most hardened of UED Marines. A walk through the countryside, however long, barely rated any sort of complaint from his body.  
  
Mackenzie was able to tell how far he was from the city merely by the increasing stench; manufacturing plants weren't regulated as well in Asia as they were in Europe and North America, and were only marginally better than those in South America and Africa. He shook his head at the hypocrisy of the UED; on the one hand they publicly prided themselves on their commitment to preserving the environment, but on the other UED sponsored factories were visible in every city churning out a steady stream of pollutants.  
  
It wasn't too long before he entered the city limits in the red light sector; even UED Marines were wary over entering these sectors without overwhelming force and reinforcements. Mackenzie didn't think that anyone would bother him though. Unlike the Marines, he wasn't conspicuous, and street gangs wouldn't gain prestige by beating him senseless like they would a Marine. Also, Mackenzie seemed to have an aura about him, an aura of fear, of hidden power. . .in short, someone the street gangs didn't want to interfere with.  
  
The building Mackenzie was looking for wasn't too far, and he made good time. He entered quietly, searching for the inhabitant. This part of his mission wasn't strictly related, but he knew that Raymas and the UED would be interested in any leads he could turn up. He paused at a doorway, and knocked quietly. A shuffling sound could be heard inside, and then a small slit opened in the door. The person behind started to say something, but caught the glint of light off of Mackenzie's eyepiece, the distinctive eyepiece of a Ghost. The man recoiled and stepped back from the door. Locks were slid out of place, seven in all, before the door finally opened and Mackenzie was greeted by the man.  
  
"Whatcha want? I ain't seen nothin', I don't know nothin'" said the Asian man behind the door, the smell of alcohol on his breath.  
  
"Is that so? I know all about you Khan, or "Monarch" if you prefer your slicer alias. I know what you can do, what you have done, what you want to do. It is in your best interest to help me, or I will be forced to do something unpleasant. Have I said enough?" said Mackenzie, a dark tone coloring his last words.  
  
"How do you. . . you pulled that out of my mind, didn't you?"  
  
"There isn't much in there. It wasn't hard" said Mackenzie, an amused smirk crossing his face before disappearing behind a mask of impassivity.  
  
"Fine. Seeing as how I can't read minds, how 'bout you tell me what you want, and I'll see what I can do" said Khan, obviously displeased at the thought of Mackenzie rooting through his mind.  
  
"I know you're a part of the slicer circle "Daemon" that has a certain. . . dislike, shall we say, of a politician. You know of whom I speak?"  
  
"The nutjob who thinks that DuGalle bought it in the Koprulu sector? We wouldn't mind if something happened to him; he made some laws that make it a little more difficult for us to operate. Why you askin'? The UED want to take him out or something?" asked Khan suspiciously.  
  
Mackenzie laughed. "Let's just say my superiors seem to want him out of the picture. If you do too, I want some payment from you as well. What do you have that's worth this man's life?"  
  
Khan grinned. "I got enough dirt on every major UED politician to put them all away in their own damned prisons, but somehow I guess that's not what you're after. Could you be a bit more specific 'bout what you need?"  
  
"I want to know if there's any truth behind the politicians words. Who do you think would have the sort of intel the politician says he got?"  
  
Khan turned around and walked to a bookshelf, one of the few pieces of furniture that resided in his room. Searching among the books, he selected a copy of "The Prince".  
  
"Good book," said Khan as he flipped the cover open, revealing the compartment inside, "but it's a good hiding place too."  
  
Khan flipped through the disks that were secreted inside the book before finally smiling and selecting a pitch-black disk from the compartment. He walked over to Mackenzie and handed it to him. "This has what you want; personnel files of the highest ranks of the UED. If there is some guy feeding the nutjob information, you'll probably find him here."  
  
"Thanks. You've been very helpful," said Macenzie as he turned to leave.  
  
"What, you're not going to pay me or anything? That disk is worth millions in the right hands, billions in the wrong ones. Don't I get anything?"  
  
Maczenzie spun around and swung his canister rifle up from where it hung on his back. "You have your life. That's more than some Ghost's would be leaving you with. You are a UED outlaw; killing you now would be just and the UED would be most pleased," said Mackenzie before he lowered his rifle. "But that's not the kind of person I am."  
  
Khan's eyes grew wide as he remembered something. "You're that Ghost the news is always talking about, aren't you? The "Noble Assassin"?"  
  
Mackenzie nodded. "Yes, I suppose that is what the news calls me, only because they don't know the truth of what I really have to do. Unless you wish to find out the sort of things I'm forced to do in the service of the Dominion, you would do well to forget that I was here."  
  
Khan gulped before nodding, and then he closed his door, sliding all seven locks back into place.  
  
Mackenzie turned back, stepping lightly down the stairs, and walked out of the building, blending seamlessly into the darkness. 


	6. Chapter 6: Target

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 6: Target  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
Mackenzie's footsteps echoed through the darkness as he walked down the street, making his way towards his target. His face was impassive, the stoic hardness reminiscent of his harsh training. Removing targets was always difficult for him, for he had a certain empathy with many of the so- called "dissidents". This demagogue, this crazed politician. . .was so convinced that the UED fleet in the Koprulu sector had been annihilated that the UED was going to terminate him. Were this target a normal person, someone without influence, Mackenzie wouldn't be paying him a visit as he was now obliged to. Only those with power worried the UED, and the power to rouse the masses, the power to change UED belief. . .that was a power that needed to be extinguished.  
  
It wasn't long before Mackenzie entered the more affluent side of town. The two sides were like the faces of a coin, one complementing the other. There couldn't be slums without a rich neighborhood to contrast with. Likewise, the rich felt more so knowing that mere klicks away, men who could otherwise be their equals were being oppressed, kept down by their lack of currency. It sickened Mackenzie in a way little else did, not so much the belief, but the fact that the UED had never made any moves to curb societal excesses, never held out a hand to those in need.  
  
This side of town was beautiful, almost picturesque. Everything was perfectly painted and manicured, giving it a false appearance of perfection. Under the surface, the hearts of many of these rich men were as black as the void of space. Mackenzie hated them, because though he knew them evil, he knew what he did for a living was more so.  
  
Despite the news calling him "The Noble Assassin", he was still a killer at heart, destroyer by nature. He loved the elation he got from chasing down his prey, be they hardened criminal or dissident citizen. He hated himself for enjoying the hunt, but was glad that he didn't enjoy the end of the hunt, the actual kill. Mackenzie always strived to make his eliminations as painful as possible, affording his target all the dignity he could. Death was too much for some that he had hunted. . .far too much.  
  
There was only one kill that Mackenzie had ever made that he agreed with, despite how it was resolved; only one out of hundreds of people he eliminated he felt truly deserved the justice he dealt. Mackenzie had hunted his target for over a week across the world, through crowded metropolises and across unforgiving wastelands. Mackenzie had been proud of that kill, not because of the lengths he went to make it, but because of who his target was. The target was a serial-rapist with a penchant for young teenage girls, raping them viciously and then leaving their bodies discarded, no longer holding any value for him. Dozens of girls were killed before the authorities even realized that the rapes were connected, but once they came to the realization, Mackenzie was out the door and on his trail within minutes.  
  
The rapist must have had friends in high places, because he stopped immediately and started fleeing, trying to fool Mackenzie into losing his trail, but things that may fool a normal person won't even register to a well-trained telepath, and Mackenzie was one of the most powerful psionicists the UED had ever known.  
  
The trail ended in a small, abandoned village in a desert. The rapist had made one too many mistakes on the run, as all fleeing from justice invariably do, and had allowed himself to be cornered, his supplies expended. Mackenzie called to the man, ordering him to show himself. The man stood, arms raised in surrender, expecting mercy from his foe. He got none.  
  
Mackenzie snapped his rifle down from his back faster than an eye blink, and fired three rounds at the man's chest, obliterating it in an instant, leaving his upper body barely connected to his lower. He fell to his knees, hands still raised in surrender, and died under the harsh desert sun seconds later.  
  
The kill, like all others, was a black mark on Mackenzie's heart, a tarnish on the soul Mackenzie was no longer sure he possessed. How could he, with what he had done? A lesser man would have received dozens of consecutive life sentences for what he had done, but instead he had received medals, commendations, promotions. . .but since that kill he had always tried to eliminate his targets quietly, giving them their dignity even in death, making it as painless as possible.  
  
Mackenzie shifted his rifle on his back, and tapped the side of his helmet, activating the display. A few more taps gave him a map of the city, a route to his target clearly delineated. He sighed softly, and began walking again, this time paying no attention to the neighborhood, instead keeping a close eye on the pedestrians on the street. He wondered often how it must feel to be a civilian, to not have to snip the threads that connected people to life. The life appealed to him. . .but he knew it would bore him. . .there was no challenge to pedestrian life, no use for his talents. No, he was bound to the UED by his talents for as long as he lived.  
  
The sky was beginning to lighten again, a sign that dawn was fast approaching. Mackenzie broke into a jog, and then into a fast run. He needed to reach the target now; his reminiscences and musings had wasted too much of his time, entertaining though they were. He followed the supplied route as fast as he could, keeping alert for any shortcuts he could find. There weren't many, but he did manage to reach the politicians residence before light had completely flooded the sky.  
  
There was a thick gate guarding the mansion; the politician knew he had enemies apparently, but the gate wouldn't stop Mackenzie in the least. Mackenzie took a running dash at the gate, deftly springing up into the air and landing on top of it. He hopped down to the ground silently, eyes scanning around him for any who might have spotted him. Satisfied there were none, he activated his cloaking device.  
  
Cloaking was the only part of his missions that he enjoyed. Cloaking was a race against time, a race to prove who was faster, the bearer or the drain on the batteries of the device. Mackenzie loved it; it was another facet to the hunt, another tool he could use to find his prey.  
  
He dashed quickly up the driveway until he reached the side of the house. The sides were sheer metal armor, clearly making the home more than a private residence and more like a fortress. He thought for a moment, and then reached in a pouch and pulled out a few climbing spikes. He pressed the buttons upon them, and slammed them onto the metal surface. The magnets within activated, and he began his ascent to the politician's window.  
  
The sheer wall was a hard climb, but Mackenzie had done worse before. In one operation he had been forced to climb a surface that angled outwards, thus making falling an even greater possibility. Despite the overwhelming odds leaning towards his fall, he had reached the top, achieving his goal.  
  
Mackenzie paused to get his bearings, and could make out the faint outline of the window above and to the left of him. Adjusting his course, he continued his ascent towards the target. He reached the window, a permanently sealed design for safety. Removing one hand from the climbing spikes, he reached into his belt for a small laser scalpel. He adjusted the intensity, flicked it on, and began tracing the outline of the window. A faint orange beam emitted, not seeming to do much until he had completed his trace, after which the wall section came loose. He attached a small magnet clamp to it and the wall, turning the window into a doorway for his entry. Carefully removing his hand from the other climbing spike, he grabbed onto the newly created doorway, flipping himself into the room beyond.  
  
The man was sound asleep, all the better for Mackenzie; it made his job easier, and the target's death more painless. He started towards the bed before stopping. A small, nearly invisible laser grid covered the entire floor; without his visor and goggles he never would have seen it. Looking around the room's perimeters, he could see the emitters and hidden panels that no doubt concealed automated gun turrets or the like. Congratulating himself on his discoveries, he set about deactivating the system.  
  
At first he had little progress, because he wasn't fully prepared for such a defense, but using some of the supplies on hand he quickly managed to modify the laser scalpel into a remote control, something he had learned from Raymas. Then he scanned the room for low-level communications, knowing that the system was no doubt controlled by something on the politician's person. Seizing the active frequency, he modified the scalpel a little more, and then turned it on. The effect was immediate; all the lasers snapped off silently, paving the way for Mackenzie's further entry. He continued forward cautiously, continuously scanning the room for any changes. He got within three feet of the bed before an alarm went off.  
  
Looking around wildly, he managed to spot a miniature camera placed directly above the window, the only blind spot he had when entering the room. Cursing silently, he darted forward to complete his mission and make his exit, but stopped short as the politician sat up with two pistols in hand, one aimed at Mackenzie's left eye, the other aimed for his abdomen.  
  
"Move and I shoot. I've been expecting you, Surak."  
  
Mackenzie's mind reeled. How had this man known he would be coming? Shaking off the thoughts, he started forward. The man shifted the pistol from his abdomen slightly and fired, grazing Mackenzie's side.  
  
"I'm serious, Mackenzie. I don't want to have to hurt you. I need you too much."  
  
"Who are you?" asked Mackenzie.  
  
"I'm someone who needs your services. If you do not wish to die, you will surrender your rifle immediately. I know all about you, Surak. I know about the dreams you've been having, the misgivings about the Dominion. I can help you, Mackenzie."  
  
"What do you want?" asked Mackenzie, his voice calm.  
  
"Nothing more than your companionship, my friend. For the moment though, I regret being forced to do this."  
  
"Do. . ." was all Mackenzie managed before something stung his neck, flooding coldness through his body. His legs went limp, and he slid to the floor unconscious. 


	7. Chapter 7: Questions

Siren Song  
  
Chapter 7: Questions  
  
By: Dark-Elk  
  
Massive shells collided into a torn battlefield, destroying whole sections of a seemingly never-ending wave of hideous creatures. There were more than before now, and they weren't attacking a colony. This was a fully defended base, as was evidenced by the presence of Siege Tanks. The constant thudding of shells being fired at the fastest pace possible was like a drumbeat, setting the background noise for the battle.  
  
The gates to the base slid open, releasing a massive clustered group of Marines, Firebats, and Medics. They charged forward in formation, spraying gauss rifle fire and gouts of flaming plasma towards the creatures. The creatures halted their steady advance, turning instead towards this new target. The creatures surged as one, encircling the massed Terran regiment. Marines continued to pour fire into their attackers while Firebats charged into the enemy lines, roasting the creatures alive. Medics followed close behind, dragging the fallen warriors back into the protective circle formed by the Marines. Their healing consisted of quick- fixes; bandages taped over wounds, anti-venoms for those infected by the needle spines, and amphetamines to keep the warriors on their feet, fighting against the shock of blood loss and the creatures simultaneously. Slowly the perimeter of Marines shrunk as they were killed by the dog- creatures and the taller serpent creatures, but then the battle suddenly stopped. A massive hole formed in the creature's lines, a long column stretching back towards the horizon.  
  
A roar filled the air as a massive creature charged forward, massive tusks swinging wildly. The creature crashed into the circle of Marines, tearing some in half, trampling the others. The Marines focused their fire on this new threat, but the gauss rifles seemed barely adequate to damage this massive creature. The rest of the creatures charged as the fire turned away from them, quickly shredding through the armor of the Marines, finally collapsing the circle, killing the Medics and wounded guarded within.  
  
A trio of explosions flung dirt and remains of both creature and Terran alike into the air as the Siege Tanks attempted to crush the cluster of creatures. The explosions continued unabated, shredding the lines, beating the creatures back over the horizon. A cheer rose from the bunkers and Siege Tanks as they fired their final few shots at the fleeing foe. . .but their joy was short lived.  
  
An endless wave of the massive creatures flooded over the horizon, charging the base. They collided with the perimeter walls, shredding through the duracrete and NeoSteel ramparts with ease. Bunkers collapsed as the creatures stomped over them, turning the Siege Tanks into unrecognizable hunks of metal. The creatures that had retreated chose that moment to return, spelling doom for the Terran base. . .  
  
Mackenzie lunged forward abruptly in his bed, only to find he was not in his bed, but tied to an office chair. He looked around the room he was in, noting the rich mahogany wall panels and desk before him, framed by the rosy sunset visible through the massive window behind the desk.  
  
A chair was behind the desk and in front of the window, but it wasn't turned towards Mackenzie. He tried to speak, to ask where he was, what he was doing here, but his voice was little more than a sibilant rasp.  
  
"Your voice will return shortly, Major Surak. The temporary disabling of your vocal cords is an unfortunate side effect of the serum we used to incapacitate you," a cultured voice said, seemingly someone seated in the chair before the window.  
  
Mackenzie remembered what had happened to him: his blunder trying to enter and kill his target, the man springing awake and aiming guns at him, a cold needle sliding into his flesh, numbing his body, forcing him unconscious.  
  
"I apologize for being forced to drug you, and also for being forced to restrain you to that chair. You need to hear what I have to tell you, and these were the only methods at hand that would ensure this. Believe me, you will be most interested in what I have to tell you, most especially about the visions that have been plaguing you for months now."  
  
Mackenzie's thoughts were still a disorganized flurry because of the serum, and it took a few seconds before what the man said registered fully. His confused mind stopped almost immediately, and he strained to speak. After a few gasps and sounds that bore now resemblance to speech, he managed to cough out something that sounded vaguely like "Huh?".  
  
The chair slowly swiveled around, revealing the man seated within. His dark hair blended well into his bronzed skin, and he had the noble bearing of an autocrat. His nose hooked sharply down, seemingly dividing his face in two. It was his eyes that caught Mackenzie's attention most, noticing something he hadn't before he was drugged. The man had the milky eyes of someone blinded, but he could see a glowing within which suggested the man had ocular implants, giving him back vague, distorted eyesight. He clasped his hands in front of him and seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments. "I know about the dreams, Major Surak. I've had them myself. The terrified people, the screaming monstrosities, the death and destruction. . . I've lost my own share of sleep to them."  
  
Mackenzie's voice finally returned to him as he listened, and said slowly "Only a Ghost should be able to pick up those visions, if that's what they are, and one skilled at mental telepathy. Your bearing doesn't seem to be that of a Ghost."  
  
The man smiled broadly, revealing perfectly aligned teeth. "Indeed, Major Surak, I am not, nor have I ever been a member of the UED Ghost program. I am an unregistered telepath, overlooked by the potential tests all children take at a young age. For some reason I've been unable to discern, the UED testers failed to detect my nascent skills, and in the years since then I've been very careful in my usage of my abilities so as not to draw unwanted attention to myself," he said quietly, and then looked pointedly at Mackenzie. "Obviously, my reactions to recent events have alerted the UED to my abilities. How else would I know that Admiral DuGalle's fleet was decimated in the Koprulu sector months ago? The UED has only recently learned of the disaster, and I assure you I knew of it far before they did."  
  
"I wasn't sent to eliminate you for your psionic potential; the UED learned that you were going to make a speech shortly, and thought that it would be politically damaging to them," said Mackenzie with a slight smile. "Although it wouldn't matter much whether you were dead because of your potential or over your speech, now would it?"  
  
The man shook his head. "I was indeed scheduled to make a speech, but only to announce what I knew. Although I suppose that could damage the UED, I can't imagine them sending you after me. Then again," he laughed softly. "even your talents seem to have been inadequate, and you are their poster- child."  
  
Dark anger crossed Mackenzie's face at the mention of his failure. "What do you want? I don't even know your goddamn name!"  
  
"My name is Michael Sommers, and what I want it your aid in saving the Koprulu sector, and ultimately the Earth," said the man, his face somber.  
  
Mackenzie burst out laughing, but quickly stopped as he noticed the man hadn't joined him. "You're serious? You want me to help you save the world?"  
  
Sommers nodded. "Major Surak, both you and I are anomalies on Earth. As far as I've been able to discern, out of the nearly twenty-nine billion people that live here, we are the only two who have received this distress signal from the Koprulu sector," said Sommers as he stood and looked out now dark city beneath his palatial fortress. "You were sent to deal with me because I have influence in the upper echelons of the UED. Another Ghost was slated to have assassinated me, but I wanted you here. I knew you'd understand what I'm telling you, and you'd help me do what's right."  
  
"And what is it you think is right, Sommers?"  
  
"I want to lead a fleet to the Koprulu sector and put an end to the horrors occurring out there. Wouldn't you like a full night's sleep for the first time in months? I know I would. But that's beside the point. I don't know the exact content of your visions, but it's innocent people dying in mine, Surak, innocent people that shouldn't be dying. DuGalle failed to stabilize the Koprulu sector, probably because of these hideous monstrosities who decimate entire cities and planets in minutes."  
  
Mackenzie looked at him skeptically. "And where are you going to get a fleet, Sommers? You want me to go ask the UED if you can borrow one, because I can tell you now what their answer will be."  
  
"The UED is indeed unwilling to send another expeditionary fleet to the Koprulu sector; the media would notice, questions would be asked, and eventually it would become street knowledge that the most decorated Admiral in Terran history died and lost the majority of his fleet. The knowledge of those beasts pillaging the entire Koprulu sector wouldn't comfort them either, as I'm sure it won't be hard for the beasts to trace Admiral DuGalle's path to the Koprulu sector back here to Earth. They want their fleets to stay here and keep them feeling safe and secure, but the fact is that if the entire Koprulu sector falls to the monstrosities they will have nearly limitless resources to draw upon. They will crush Earth."  
  
The blunt prediction chilled Mackenzie's spine, surprising him utterly. "You honestly think these creatures will come here? Why shouldn't the UED just expand as much as possible as quickly as possible so they can match forces with the beasts?"  
  
"Because the UED is a bureaucracy, and as such is slow and unwilling to change. By the time the UED got around to filling out the forms authorizing the construction of colonization ships, the beasts would already be on our doorsteps. We cannot count on the UED to deal with this threat."  
  
"So how do you expect to deal with it? I highly doubt a Ghost and an unregistered psyche are really going to stop these creatures, or even be anything more than another number on the casualty total I'm sure is climbing as we speak. The UED won't give you ships to go to the Koprulu sector," said Mackenzie, although he thought he knew Summers' plan already.  
  
"Of course they won't. That's why I want you to help me, shall we say, "borrow" them," Summers said as he turned away from the window. "I am most sure that such operations would be well within your realm of ability."  
  
Mackenzie nodded slowly, but asked "And why would I do such a thing for you, Summers?"  
  
Summers laughed softly before answering "Because you want the dreams to stop. Because you don't like the idea of innocent people dying. Because you're the 'Noble Assassin'. And because I know that working for the UED chafes horribly with your internal beliefs, damning the soul you don't think you have anymore. All of these reasons, or none of them. You know you will help me already, that much I can sense in your mind, so why not just end this verbal fencing match and agree?"  
  
Mackenzie's face flushed with anger again. "Stay out of my head, or there's not a chance in hell I'll help you, beliefs or not. My thoughts are my own."  
  
Summers looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to Mackenzie. "Are you going to help me? I suppose I need to ask that as a mere formality."  
  
Mackenzie stared into his eyes, probing Summer's mind, trying to find a reason to believe the man. . .and he found it. No where in Summer's mind could he find the slightest hint of deception; the man truly wanted to heal the wounds of the Koprulu sector. "Fine. I'm in. But I'm not going to kill anyone to steal these ships you want, Summers. I'm making that clear now. I'm done with that."  
  
Summers looked at Mackenzie gravely for a few seconds before responding. "Mackenzie, I can only hope that you won't need to dispose of anyone while trying to steal these ships. You know as well as I do that sometimes sacrifices must be made. Let's get you untied from that chair and begin our preparations, before the UED sends in a team to retrieve you and kill me." 


End file.
